Sports reporter at The Canberra Times

Western Australia vs ACT

The Toyota Futures League cricket match at Chisholm Oval between the ACT Comets and WA Photo: Graham Tidy

It will go down as one of the most bizarre games in ACT Comets' history.

Forty wickets fell in less than two days and Comets all-rounder Vele Dukoski became just the third ACT player to take a hat-trick, but it wasn't enough to prevent a 43-run loss to Western Australia at Chisholm Oval on Tuesday.

The experiment of using the English Duke ball combined with a below-par pitch producing variable bounce resulted in a nightmare for batsmen.

The Comets were bowled out for 144 in pursuit of 188 to end the game after just 176 overs.

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Comets coach Mark Higgs said anything more than 150 was going to be hard to chase as the conditions were in favour of the bowlers.

''It was a combination of the Duke ball and the wicket wasn't the up to the standard of a Futures League game,'' Higgs said.

''The Duke ball didn't get old and today the balls from the spinners went through the top.

''It played like a day-six wicket today and the ball was jumping around.''

It was the second Futures League round where a Duke ball was used to see if it can hold up under Australian conditions.

Holding a 54-run lead on the first innings, the Comets dismissed Western Australia on Tuesday for 241 to set a victory target of 188.

It was a chase they never got close to reaching, slumping to 7-90 before finishing on 144.

Comets spinner Shane Devoy claimed 5-70 in the second innings, while former Australian Test representative Michael Beer (4-82) and fast medium bowler Andrew Tye (4-23 and 10 wickets for the match) were just as devastating for the opposition.

Dukoski was the star of the first innings, taking a hat-trick among his 6-41 from 13 overs.

It was just the third hat-trick in ACT history behind Lorne Lees in 1933-34 v Wagga Wagga and David Thornton in 1996-97 against South Australia Country.

Dukoski knocked over Josh Inglis leg before wicket for a duck and Nathan Rimmington first ball before going to lunch on a hat-trick.

He had a nervous half an hour before getting Christian Smith caught behind.